Viridian is a blueish-green to our contemporary eyes. Before that, it meant, more than green, verdant, alive. For my mermaids and mermen to flourish, I focus my efforts on two values :  

1 Inclusive designs 

I often hear : "I'd love to but I can't...". I find that this is particularly true of mermaiding, where sport meets art. Not only do you expose yourself in a funny costume, half-naked, but the aesthetic pressure is real. A pressure which does not weigh equally our bodies, our genders and other facets of our identity. To overcome this, we need to create a feeling of inclusion, and to create this feeling, we need to show that anyone can be a mer.

Drawing has taught me two things which have shaped my position as an inclusive designer. Firstly, to draw is to limit. Secondly, to show an image is to speak louder than words. That's why I work with people with different bodies and identities, why I think up designs for the models, why I prepare the photoshoot with a like-minded professional so that everyone can dream of themselves as beautiful mers. I think about creating accessories to control the shape of the body when it makes the person more comfortable. Mermaiding can be an extraordinary way to affirm or play with gender and shape!

My shop has a rule : 

Pay for style, not your body. 

Tailoring is free for people ranging out of my predefined sizes.

2 Environment and labour protection
Making mermaid tails and playing mer is connected to the protection of the environment and workers' rights.

I don't want to degrade anything or anyone. That too is inclusive : it entails beauty, empathy, equality, survival. Mermaiding is a privbiledge but I refuse to divide the world between people who can swim in clean waters for leisure and others who'd suffer to make it happen. 

This includes artists. 

I will never consciously copy another creator's design and I do not use AI to create my owns.

I don't have a perfect answer to all of these challenges,

But I try to compromise reasonably and I keep evolving : 

• A solid, recycled fabric which composition and recyclability are known to me.

• • I'm currently using a 'high performance' blend of 88% recycled polyester and ultra-strong spandex ; the spandex, which is harder to recycle, is present in smaller quantities than it is in traditional swimwear. I have temporarily given up scuba, which I love for its thickness, because I can't find any that's strong enough and affordable from France..
    

• Eco-friendly, water-free printing with very stable results, in Europe.

• My made-to-order production, without stocks, and grouped shipments.
  

• • As a customer, you can still request a rush order by paying for the shipping of the materials, but keep in mind the printing time itself is non-rushable.
    

• Packaging is minimal or reusable.
  

I strive to be aware and conscious of the impact of my creation, and I remain vigilant and open to new solutions. As a creator, I can decide on every stage of production and I canoffer to adhere to my values through my creations. And that's quite empowering!

What else would I like to do to make this more aligned with my values ?

• 100% made in France : integrate fabric production and printing ! 
  
• Integrate a recycling program for the tails and R2R (recyclable to recycled) certification for materials